A nova ave açoriana: Painho-das-tempestades-de-Monteiro

Monteiro's Storm-petrel breeds in the spring. Photo: Killian Mullarney

(Fotos retiradas do site da Birdwatch, onde há mais informação sobre esta ave.)

O Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas da Universidade dos Açores e a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds descobriram nos Açores uma nova espécie de ave.
Trata-se do painho-das-tempestades-de-Monteiro, assim nomeado em homenagem ao investigador Luís Monteiro, falecido no acidente com um avião da SATA, em Dezembro de 1999, na ilha de S. Jorge.

Ilhéu da Praia, Graciosa.
Apenas existente nos ilhéus da Graciosa, esta espécie endémica apresenta ligeiras diferenças em relação à espécie painho-das-tempestades, mas suficientes, no entanto, para não se conseguirem reproduzir entre si.
Tamanhos e vocalizações são algumas das características que incompatibilizam as duas populações agora tornadas espécies, graças à certificação efectuada por análise genética.
Os trabalhos que permitiram identificar a nova espécie começaram na década de 90 e foram inicialmente conduzidos por Luís Monteiro.
Com apoio do Governo dos Açores, através das secretarias regionais do Ambiente e do Mar e da Educação e Ciência, foram entretanto desenvolvidos os trabalhos que o investigador Mark Bolton e colegas publicaram agora na revista científica “Ibis”. (GACS)

Monteiro's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma monteiroi: a new species from the Azores
MARK BOLTON 1,2*, ANDREA L. SMITH 3 , ELENA GÓMEZ-DÍAZ 4 , VICKI L. FRIESEN 3 , RENATA MEDEIROS 1 , JOËL BRIED 1 , JOSE L. ROSCALES 4 & ROBERT W. FURNESS 5
1 Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal 2 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK Headquarters, The Lodge, Sandy, Beds, SG19 2DL, UK 3 Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada 4 Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Avenida Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain 5 Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
*Corresponding author.Email: Mark.Bolton@rspb.org.uk
Copyright Journal compilation © 2008 British Ornithologists' Union
KEYWORDS
genetics • isotopes • moult • taxonomy • vocalizations
ABSTRACT
The existence of two seasonally distinct breeding populations of Oceanodroma storm-petrels in the Azores islands was first documented in 1996. The discovery of morphological differences between the populations led to the suggestion that they may represent cryptic sibling species. Recent mtDNA and microsatellite analysis from storm-petrel populations has considerably advanced our understanding of their taxonomic relationships. Here we present new information on the timing of breeding and moult of the two Azores populations, the extent of exchange of individuals between seasons, and diet from feather isotopes. We conclude that the hot-season Azores population should be considered a new species for which we propose the name Oceanodroma monteiroi, Monteiro's Storm-petrel. The species is both genetically distinct and genetically isolated from the sympatric cool-season population of Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro, and from all other populations of Oceanodroma castro in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans examined to date. Differences in the vocalizations permit species recognition, and the extent of primary feather wear and stage of moult aids separation of the two species in the Azores, which is especially valuable during August when both attend the breeding colonies in large numbers. Feather carbon and nitrogen isotopes reveal that the diet of Monteiro's Storm-petrel differs from that of the sympatric Madeiran Storm-petrel during both breeding and non-breeding seasons, and unlike the Madeiran Storm-petrel, Monteiro's Storm-petrel appears to maintain the same foraging environment during the summer and winter months, though it shows a dietary shift to higher trophic levels during the non-breeding season. Monteiro's Storm-petrel is thought to be confined to the Azores archipelago, where it is currently known to nest on just two small neighbouring islets. The total population size was estimated at 250–300 pairs in 1999.